Digital Learning Day might be a kick-off to the month of February but when I think of this month I always picture big red hearts. I consider this month the time of love, chocolate, lacy doilies, valentines and online tools. You might be wondering if online tools are online dating sites but NOT in this case because I am actually referring to online teaching resources. You are now thinking that I am bitter from a broken heart and looking for love in all the wrong places (yeah…it is a song but it is a really good one). I am here to tell you that I define love as a sense or feeling of never being let down, always being accessible and most importantly someone that makes me look good. I have found that and more in the Intel Thinking Tools http://www.intel.com/about/corporateresponsibility/education/k12/tools.htm.

I like all the tools but I am in love with the Visual Ranking Tool. I think if it were on an online dating site then its profile would look something like this…

Screen Name: VisualRanking4U
Tag line: The right educational tool looking for the right teacher
About me and who I am looking for: I am looking for someone who thinks for themselves, but not for everyone around them. Someone who is willing to drag and drop and comment when necessary or appropriate. My mate must love innovative ways to integrate technology into the curriculum or at least willing to give it a try.
Favorite Things: Ranking (of course), Commenting, Ordering, Prioritizing
Favorite Hot Spots: Classrooms across the World, Intel Teach website (http://www.intel.com/about/corporateresponsibility/education/k12/tools.htm), Engage site (http://engage.intel.com)

I have used Visual Ranking the most with students since it is the easiest to implement. I love the ability to create an activity on the fly. My last lesson with using the tool….hmmm…my students had 3 locations to research in a studies skills class. They had to find the best place for a summer vacation without using Google and then rank the locations from the best location to the worst with the Intel tool. They created comments on the first and last decision to compare with other groups after their research was complete. The tool provided a great venue for the students to voice their findings online in an organized fashion.

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Peg Hartwig

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Community Calendar: March 2015

Take a look at just some of the great stuff going on this month at Discovery Education. We invite you to join us.
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